Kellyn Lacour-Conant is a dedicated environmentalist with a deep-rooted connection to the wetlands of Louisiana. Born on April 13th, 1993 in Houston, Texas, she spent her childhood summers in Louisiana, where her family originates from. Her early experiences with the water, both in Houston, the "Bayou City", and in Louisiana, where her family engaged in fishing and hunting, instilled in her a profound appreciation for wetland ecosystems. This appreciation eventually led her to pursue a career in environmental conservation. In 2016, Lacour-Conant moved to coastal Louisiana full-time and began her professional journey in the field of environmental conservation. She initially worked with the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, focusing on large-scale restoration projects and feasibility issues. Later, she transitioned into the nonprofit sector, addressing food insecurity and promoting urban farming in Baton Rouge. Currently, Lacour-Conant serves as the Restoration Programs Director at the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, overseeing the Oyster Shell recycling program and the native plant program. In addition to her professional roles, she is also a Ph.D. student at Southern University in Baton Rouge, studying traditional and local ecological knowledge as it relates to forested and coastal ecosystems.

Scope and Content Note
This interview with Kellyn Lacour-Conant, conducted by Lauren Leonpacher on October 22, 2021, provides a comprehensive insight into Lacour-Conant's personal and professional relationship with the wetlands of Louisiana. The interview begins with Lacour-Conant's early life and her familial connections to Louisiana, which played a significant role in shaping her interest in environmental conservation. She then discusses her professional journey, detailing her work with the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, her efforts to address food insecurity in Baton Rouge, and her current role with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. A significant portion of the interview is dedicated to Lacour-Conant's participation in the Sacred Waters Pilgrimage, a series of in-person visits and virtual ceremonies hosted by the Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy, the United Houma Nation, and several indigenous tribes along the Mississippi River. Lacour-Conant shares her experiences during the pilgrimage, emphasizing the sense of community and the shared commitment to environmental conservation among the participants. The interview also delves into Lacour-Conant's vision for the future of coastal Louisiana, which she summarizes as the "three L's of Land, Language and Liberation." She emphasizes the need to reconnect humans with the ecosystem, arguing that many of the environmental and societal issues we face today stem from a culture that separates humans from nature and seeks to dominate it. Lacour-Conant advocates for a shift in perspective, where we learn from nature and live with it rather than trying to control it. In the final part of the interview, Lacour-Conant shares the knowledge she would like to pass on to future generations of Louisianians. She speaks of the joy and beauty of Louisiana's natural environment and the importance of preserving it for future generations. She argues that the protection of the land and water should not be a partisan issue but a shared responsibility to ensure that future generations can experience the same joy that current residents of Louisiana do. The interview provides a valuable perspective on the intersection of environmental conservation, community engagement, and cultural heritage in coastal Louisiana.